Wednesday, May 28, 2008

The cost of motoring

OK, everyone else has had their say so now it's my turn.The cost of motoring, and particularly fuel prices is absolutely ridiculous. Yes I know the world price of oil is at a record high, but our (UK) prices were high even before that. It's getting stupid now.

I paid almost £1.32 a litre yesterday to fill up with diesel - that's getting on for £6.50 a gallon. I've just checked DallasGas.Com where yesterday our American cousins could get diesel for $4.11 and I presume that's a gallon (albeit an American gallon) which equates roughly £2 a gallon.

I know there are lots of other variable to chuck in - availability, transport cost of fuel etc, but someone's taking the mick here.

Add in the cost of vehicle excise duty, servicing, insurance and general wear and tear, and it's frightening how much it costs to drive these days.

Use public transport say the Government. Yeah right. I don't even know where my nearest bus stop is. My nearest train station is a mile and a half away. It would take me at least 2 hours to commute on public transport to my work (13 miles away).

I'm sure every one has opinions on this, but my preference would be scrap excise duty, set fuel prices at a realistic level (lower than they are now!) and have a pay as you go sort of scenario - the more you drive the more you pay. Whatever system we end up with has got to be better than what we've got now.

Meantime, Gordon and Alistair for all their platitudes are laughing all the way to the Treasury.